Heaven on Earth (The Power of Four #4)

Tara Varela is a young forest ranger who has been keeping some unusual skills hidden. Whenever she plays the small mysteriously carved flute gifted to her by her Lakota mentor, she can hear the exquisite voice of an alluring stranger singing to her. Tara’s life changes dramatically when she learns that magic is real and so is the man in her visions. In a whirlwind, she finds herself in the parallel universe of Wisteria, falling for an Elven King named Theo, and  learns that she is the embodiment of the Earth element. Tara and her fellow elements, Water, Air and Fire, must join together to battle a great evil, known as the Shadowman.

“Heaven on Earth” is the romantic fourth and final installment in the Power of Four series.  The preceding books introduced the other elements and gradually built up a tale of greed, deceit and betrayal that begs for restitution. The dichotomy between the romance of Tara and Theo and the overall battle against the Shadowman felt quite stark. The former dominated the introduction of the book and confirmed its stand-alone intentions. The latter takes over in the second half of the book is likely to leave any reader who is unfamiliar with the intricate story arc struggling to find footing. It is, therefore, advisable to read the books in order. The fantasy world created by D.A. Henneman is wonderfully captivating and populated with witches, mages, satyrs and even Ents! There is room for improvement in the clarity of the overall plot, as well as in the editing. Fans of Tolkien will likely smile at the homage paid by Ms. Henneman.

Joan Lai